‘Mission Rabies’ from Monday in Madurai

UK-based World Veterinary Service (WVS) has prepared a comprehensive action plan to execute the project with the support of Madurai Corporation, Animal Husbandry Department, veterinarians and animal welfare activists. File Photo: R. Ashok

“Ten days, 100 wards and 6,000 dogs” will be the focus of a mass rabies vaccination of dogs in the city to be launched on September 2 under a pilot project called ‘Mission Rabies.’

UK-based World Veterinary Service (WVS) has prepared a comprehensive action plan to execute the project with the support of Madurai Corporation, Animal Husbandry Department, veterinarians and animal welfare activists.

During the campaign, which will end on September 13 with two weekend breaks in between, trained animal handlers, dog catchers and veterinary doctors will vaccinate stray dogs in all the 100 wards in the four zones of the Corporation.

The city will also be under constant monitoring for the next three years by the WVS and other agencies involved in the campaign.

Neck collars will be tied on stray dogs or a paint will be applied on them after vaccination for easy identification.

A mobile veterinary care unit will be pressed into service and four teams will carry out vaccination simultaneously in all the zones. The importance of dog sterilisation through Animal Birth Control Programme will also be stressed.

While the immediate target is fixed as 6,000 dogs, the authorities are also ready to include more dogs under the programme as ample rabies vaccine doses are available.

Vaccination schedule has been prepared for each area and the public have been asked to get in touch with local Corporation officials if some dogs are left out during the campaign.